Practice Makes Perfect
by laurah2215
Summary: Pairing: CJ/Danny; Series: The Unplanned Blessing; Story # 5;Abbey and Noah are worried they don't know anything about babies.


Title: Practice Makes Perfect

Title: Practice Makes Perfect  
Series: The Unplanned Blessing  
Author: Laura H  
Rating: Teen to Adult. Disclaimer: We've been doing this long enough  
that you know I'm not making a penny.  
Synopsis: Abbey and Noah get an opportunity to practice their  
parenting skills, and their inaptitude worries them.  
Notes: I've included the lyrics to " I Learned From You" by Billy Ray  
and Miley Cyrus. There was no eloquent way to include them, so it  
looks odd. I've always loved this song because it's exactly the  
relationship I've had with my own parents, and the one I imagine Abbey  
has with CJ and Danny. But, in my father's defence, he's never been as  
bad as I sometimes write Danny's character. I just think Danny would  
be incredibly over-protective.  
Timeline:  
March 2025: Story 1- The Weight of the World; Story 2- Changes;Story  
3-The Wedding;  
May 2025: Story 4-Making Memories  
July 2025: Story 5- Practice Makes Perfect

"Hey, babe." Danny envelopes his wife with both arms and kisses  
her gently in the kitchen.

"Mmm.. Good afternoon. You want some wine?" CJ breaks free and  
surveys the contents of the fridge for the bottle of white wine she  
put in there a few days ago.

"Sure. How was your day?" Danny takes a seat on a stool at the  
counter and commences removing his tie.

"Good. I had a productive meeting with the Senegal office. How  
about you?" CJ pours two glasses of wine and joins her husband at the  
counter.

"I got a surprise call from Ciara this afternoon. They're coming  
to Los Angeles next week for Tom's conference and she wanted to drop  
by and see us." Danny takes a sip of his wine.

"Oh that's great. They just had a baby four months ago and we  
haven't met their beautiful baby girl yet." CJ is happy Danny's  
twenty-five year-old niece will be coming to California. They haven't  
seen her since Christmas in Boston.

"Great. So I'll call her back and let her know they're welcome,"  
Danny agrees.

"Who's welcome?" Abbey inquires as she and Noah file into the  
kitchen.

"Ciara's coming to visit next week," Danny informs his daughter  
as she heads directly for the cupboards.

"Oh great. She just had a baby. Oh! Do you think she'll let Noah  
and me practice with little Madison?" Abbey retrieves a box of cheese  
crackers and begins devouring a snack.

"Practice what?" CJ laughs. "And don't eat too much; dinner is in  
an hour."

"Well my baby is craving cheese crackers so I'm indulging her. No  
worries, I'll still devour my dinner. And practice, ya know, with the  
baby." Abbey chows down on the crackers and clumsily lifts herself to  
a stool. It isn't easy for her to manoeuvre a lot now that she's six  
months pregnant.

CJ chuckles lightly. "If you mean raising her, then no. But if  
you just want to practice changing diapers and taking care of her,  
then I'm sure Ciara will let you practice on Madison."

"That's great. I haven't been around a baby since Davy was  
born." Noah thinks it'll be good for them to be around a baby.

"This is going to be great. We can see if we'll be good parents."  
Abbey smiles in excitement, thinking that this will be a great  
confidence booster for her and her teenage husband before they have  
their own baby.

"Honey, just keep in mind that all babies are different so  
looking after Madison won't be exactly the same as when you have your  
own daughter." CJ feels the need to warn the kids before they get too  
enthusiastic about their own pending delivery.

•  
"I'm go glad you could drop by. It's been so long." CJ hands a  
mug of tea to Ciara who is sitting on the den couch with her husband,  
Tom, and Danny, who is holding their baby. Ciara, like her mother and  
uncle, has the typical Concannon genes. She has long, curly red hair  
and piercing green eyes and she's passed on some of her genes to her  
own daughter. Tom is fairer skinned with willowy blonde hair.

"I know. We're so glad we could drop by on such short notice.  
But originally Tom wasn't supposed to have any down time during the  
economics conference." Ciara accepts the tea and brings the mug to her  
lips.

"You have such a beautiful daughter," Danny gushes as the  
sleeping infant dozes in his arms. "God I miss this part of  
parenting." Danny coos to the little girl, becoming more excited

"Thank you. I think we could do without the sleepless nights,  
but we wouldn't trade her for the world." It's obvious that the  
child's father is bursting with pride. " Pretty soon you'll have  
another screaming infant in the house."

"Was the birth difficult?" Abbey asks Ciara from her spot next  
to Noah on the loveseat. She and Noah are just taking the scene in  
earnestly.

"Yeah. It hurt like hell," Ciara admits. But then seeing the  
look of horror on Abbey's face, she amends. "But as soon as the doctor  
put our little bundle of joy in my arms, I forgot about everything but  
her. It was completely worth it."

Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Abbey nods with a grin.  
That's what her own mom and Donna had told her, but it had been a  
really long time since they went through it, and she and Pat were  
c-sections, so she doesn't think CJ is an expert in this area.

"Hey why don't you guys come check out the additions we've made  
in the back yard?" Danny hands baby Madison to his niece. "I'm gonna  
barbeque steak tonight if that's all right."

"That sounds great!" Tom chimes in, standing up to follow the  
hosts through the kitchen to the patio outside.

"How would you like to take the baby while we go outside?" Ciara  
asks the expectant parents on the loveseat.

"Okay," Abbey agrees quickly and enthusiastically.

"She can lift her own head up now, but you should try practicing  
supporting her head," Ciara instructs as she shifts the baby swaddled  
in a pink blanket into Abbey's arms.

"No problem. We've got it," Abbey assures her cousin as the rest  
of the adults head into the kitchen.

"Looking good," Noah comments, standing up to stand beside her  
and watching her with the baby.

"She's just so precious," Abbey coos, staring admiringly at the  
infant.

"This seems pretty easy, doesn't it?" Noah doesn't remember why  
they were so worried about handling their own baby. Maybe it wasn't as  
difficult as they've been imagining.

"Yeah, this is a piece of cake. We're gonna be fine," Abbey  
agrees wholeheartedly, her eyes still trained on Madison.

Suddenly the baby begins whimpering and fussing in her blanket.

"What are you doing?" Noah asks in slight alarm.

Abbey's smile disappears and her face falls. "Nothing. I didn't  
even move my arm. She's uncomfortable now."

Madison's low whimpering gradually increases to high-pitched  
wailing.

"Oh my God! What now?" Abbey begins to panic and reaches out for  
Noah to take the baby. " Here, you take her. I'm done practicing."

Noah steps back anxiously. "No way. You hardly practiced at all.  
Come on, you've held babies before. Just relax."

"Yes, but it's at this point that I give them back to their  
mothers!" Abbey growls between gritted teeth. "Mom! Ciara!"

After a minute of Abbey physically panicking, Ciara comes back  
to the den with CJ close in toe.

"I'm so sorry. She just started to cry and I didn't know what to  
do," Abbey confesses with a look of worry.

Ciara breezes in and scoops the child from Abbey's arms. "Don't  
worry, Abbey. I'm sure it's not something you did. It's just her  
lunch time. CJ, can I go upstairs and feed her? "

"Sure thing. There's a rocking chair in Abbey and Noah's room  
you can use," CJ offers as Ciara makes her way toward the staircase in  
the foyer. With one look at her daughter, CJ can't help but crack a  
grin. "Sweetheart, you're as white as a ghost. Calm down. Madison was  
just hungry."

With a quick look at her husband, Abbey begins shaking her head.  
"I don't think we're ready for this."

CJ's eyes wander down to Abbey's visibly protruding belly and  
back up to her face. "You're a little too late to change your minds."

"We've never held a crying baby. We freaked out," Noah explains  
further.

"Well you better get used to it," CJ tells them seriously.

"Mom, you have to promise me right now you will never leave my  
side once our baby is born." Abbey's voice is hitched and very stressed.

With a small, knowing smile, CJ motions for the kids to sit on  
the couch. She sits on Abbey's right side and takes her daughter's  
hands into her own. "I told you I will be there in the beginning to  
help you. I've talked to Frank Hollis and I'm going to take eight  
weeks sabbatical once she's born."

"Only eight weeks?" Abbey screeches. "How are we supposed to keep  
her alive after that?"

CJ can't help but chuckle softly as she wraps an arm around her  
daughter's shoulders as Abbey begins to sob softly. "Look, I know  
you're worried but you'll be okay. Me, Dad, Josh and Donna will be  
here in the beginning to teach you everything you need to know to take  
care of your daughter. After that, you'll be fine. I can promise you I  
won't leave you alone in the house until you're comfortable enough to  
take care of the baby on your own. But I also promise you that you  
eventually will feel comfortable. You'll have maternal instincts and  
Noah will have paternal instincts."

"And we'll just know what to do?" Noah asks his mother-in-law.

CJ shakes her head once. "No. But your instincts will guide you  
and we'll instruct you and you'll catch on quick."

Danny enters the den and leans against the arm of the couch  
beside CJ. "What's wrong?"

"We're scared to look after our baby," Abbey admits, wiping  
stray tears from her cheeks.

"You know, I was really scared when you were born," CJ confesses.

"No. You're not scared of anything. You're a great mother."  
Abbey doesn't believe that statement. Her mom always knows exactly  
what to do about her and PJ. She's seen her father falter before,  
moments when she or Pat would say or do something that would  
completely floor him and he'd have to consult CJ. But her mother  
always seems cool and collected when it comes to giving advice to her  
children.

CJ laughs in self-deprecation. "I may make it look easy  
sometimes, but you and your brother have tested our resolve on  
infinite numbers of occasions. When you were born and the nurse placed  
you in my arms, I was scared shitless. I wondered how I was to ever  
keep such a fragile, tiny thing alive. But your father convinced me  
we would get good at new things, and we did. He was always the epitome  
of calm. He did everything for you. I don't think I changed one  
diaper until you were a month old. And your nana, God bless her soul,  
and Grandma Abbey and Grandpa Jed came and stayed with us a while  
until I felt secure."

"Wow. You were just as insecure as I am." Abbey takes a deep  
sigh of relief.

"And I wasn't exactly always calm," Danny points out. "I was  
scared I wouldn't be able to protect you and your mother. I was the  
man, the husband the father. It was my responsibility to always look  
out for my family. But it wasn't just one of us doing the parenting  
or making the decisions. We finally realized we were both equally  
involved and responsible. So together we enhanced each other's  
strengths and diminished each other's weaknesses. The first time you  
grabbed my finger I was overwhelmed with nerves and anxiety about  
caring for you, but I was also full of love and pride, and I knew  
those emotions would over-power those of doubt and fear. And except  
for letting this knuckle-head knock you up, I think we've done a  
pretty good job protecting you."

Abbey cracks a relieved grin and reaches across CJ to hug her  
father. "You've done a great job. And you've taught me to take care  
of myself. And soon you'll teach me how to take care of my own child  
so that I can, in turn, raise her to take care of herself." Abbey  
curls into her mom and hugs her close.

"Yes, and we'd never be able to do all this without your help,"  
Noah adds. "We'll be forever grateful."

"And your parents, too, Noah. Josh and Donna have been  
instrumental in helping you become the incredible young man you are  
and they will be invaluable in teaching you how to be a good father."  
CJ feels sometimes that since the kids live with them, they get all  
the credit and responsibility for turning Abbey and Noah from  
motivated but idealistic seventeen year-old teenagers into competent,  
confident parents. But Josh and Donna have been great the last five  
months in helping prepare for the baby and prepare the kids for what's  
to come, and she knows they will be a crucial support system after the  
baby is born.

"That's right. They're fantastic. I guess we don't give any of  
you enough credit for how wonderful you've been to us." Abbey lays a  
hand on her bulging stomach and sends up a silent prayer.

"But it isn't all us. You two have developed yourselves into  
responsible, caring adults with good character. That's a reflection on  
your parenting, of course, but it's not everything. You two have  
stepped up to this challenge and I think you'll pass with flying  
colours. Just try not to get so worked up and worried about  
everything," Danny advises gently.

"So I don't need to look up adoption agencies now?" CJ smiles  
jokingly.

Abbey shares a look of consent with Noah and shakes her head.  
"Nah, we'll be okay." Abbey thinks back to all those teenager years  
when she gave her parents a hard time because they restricted some of  
the activities she wanted to pursue and controlled her time spent with  
Noah. She'd get so frustrated and think that it had been so long  
since they were teenagers they couldn't possibly understand what she  
was going through. She always assumed that she knew better how to  
direct her life and she didn't need them telling her how to do  
everything. But suddenly she realizes now that ninety-nine percent of  
the time, they were right. Her ego had gotten in the way more times  
than not and she knows now that that must change. She's about to  
embark on probably the most important job she'll ever have and instead  
of automatically trying to do everything for herself to prove her  
independence, she'll show how truly strong she is by listening to the  
advice she and Noah receive from their parents and trusted friends.

" I know you will. And even though I wanted to smash your heads  
together when you told me you were pregnant, I'm truly happy for you  
now and I couldn't be prouder. It's taken a while for you to earn back  
our trust after you disobeyed us and stayed over when we were in San  
Francisco. But I know we can trust you now to do the right thing and  
make sound decisions." Danny envelopes his daughter into his arms and  
kisses her hair.

"Thanks, Dad. I learned from the best." Abbey can realize now  
just how lucky she is to have her parents.

Ooooo  
Yeah  
I didn't wanna listen to what you were sayin'  
I thought that I knew all I need to know  
I didn't realize that somewhere inside me  
I knew you were right but I couldn't say so

I can take care of myself, yeah, you taught me well

Chorus: (Miley)  
I learned from you that I do not crumble  
I learned that strength is something you choose  
All of the reasons to keep on believin'  
There's no question, that's a lesson, that I learned from you

Billy Ray  
We always don't agree on  
What is the best way  
To get to the place that we're going from here  
But I can really trust you, and give you the distance,  
to make your decisions without any fear

Both  
I'm grateful for all of the times  
You opened my eyes

Chorus: (Both)  
I learned from you that I do not crumble  
I learned that strength is something you choose  
All of the reasons to keep on believin',  
There's no question, that's a lesson  
I learned from you

Both  
You taught me to stand on my own

Miley/i and I thank you for that

Both  
You saved me, you made me,  
and now that I'm looking back

Miley/i I can say

Both/i woooaaahhhh!

Miley/i Hmmmm... Hmmmm... Yeah!

Both  
I learned from you that

Miley/i I learned from you

Both  
I do not crumble  
I learned that strength is something you choose

Miley/i something you choose

Both  
All of the reasons to keep on believin',

Miley/i keep on believin'

There's no question, that's a lesson that I learned from you

Miley  
Woooaaahhhh!  
I learned from yoooouuu

I learned that strength is something you choose  
Billy Ray/i something you choose

Both  
All of the reasons to keep on believin',  
There's no question, that's a lesson that I learned from you

Miley/i yeah!

Both  
I learned from you


End file.
